Starching-machine.



H. J. NIGHOLLS.

STARGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11,1909.

1,124,506,, Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D. C

H. J. NIGHOLLS.

STARCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11,1909.

6 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ay? 4: %+9%M+ [f 4 THE NORRIS PETERS C0 PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

H. J. NIGHOLLS.

STARGHING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 11,1909.

Patented Jan.12,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

H. J. NICHOLLS STARGHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11,1909.

1,124,506, Patented Jan.12,1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. J. NIGHOLLS.

- STAROHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 11,1909v 1,124,506, Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5:

UNKTED TATES PATENT @FFKOE.

HENRY J. NICHOLLS, OF S'IrPAUL MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL CHEMICAL COMPANY, 01E SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A

CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

STARCHING-MACHINE.

menace.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed February 11, 1909. Serial No. 477,349.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J. Nici-ioLLs, a citizen of the United States,residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStarching-ll/lachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in starching machines designedparticularly for starching collars and cuffs and consists in thefeatures of construction and combination hereinafter more particularlyde scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification Figure 1is a side elevation of my improved machine, Fig. 2 is a rear elevationof the same, Fig. 3 is a perspective view partly broken away of themechanism for forcing the starch through the articles being treated,Fig. 4 is a section on line oc-w of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a perspective viewof a wiping device forming part of my invention, Fig. 6 is a perspectivediagrammatic view of the machine, Fig. 7 is a perspective view of aplunger forming part of the machine, Fig. 8 is a perspective view of acleaning trough for the wiping apron, Fig. 9 is a cross section of thetrough, Fig. 10 is a partial section of the machine taken on a linecorresponding with line y of Fig. 6, Fig. 11 is a view of scraperforming part of my invention, and Fig. 12 is a per spective view of themain crank shaft.

In the drawings A represents the framework of the machine having acentral starch receptacle 2.

B represents an endless flexible apron and C an endless string apron forthe purpose of holding between them cuffs and collars and carrying themthrough the machine. T he endless apron 13 runs over a roller 3 havingslidable support in the feed end of the machine, passing from the roller3 over the roller 4: and downwardly and under the rollers 5 and 6 acrossthe bottom of the starch receptacle, thence upwardly over the roller 7and over and around the roller 8 of the machine returning over therollers 9, 1O, 11 and 12. The rollers 10 and 11 are journaled below therollers 5 and 6 as indicated in Fig. 6.

The endless string apron passes over the roller 13 at the feed end ofthe machine,

and thence on top of the apron B around the rollers 5 and 6. From therollers 6 the string apron passes around rollers 7 and 15 to and overthe rollers 16 and 17 of the wipmg device D and from the roller 17 backto the roller 13.

Arranged in the starch receptacle below the aprons as they pass from theroller 5 to the roller 6 is a plate 18 formed with perforations .19. Theplate 18 is supported on the frame 20 carrying at its opposite endssockets 21 to receive and form a journal support for the ends of therollers 5, 6, 10 and 11. The frame 20 has spring support upon the bottomof the receptacle 2 through the medium of the posts 22 carried by thebottom of the receptacle and slidably extending into the frame and thecoil springs 23 interposed between the receptacle bottom and frame andsurrounding said posts. Arranged above the frame 20 and plate 18 is apress 2% having vertically slidable support upon the top of thereceptacle through the medium of posts 25 carried by the top of theframe and extending loosely through openings in the ends of the press.Slidably secured around the lower edge of the press is a loose band 26,sliding movement being provided for by pins or bolts 27 secuied in thepress and extending through vertical slots 28 in the band. The bandextends the desired distance below the press in position to bear againstthe upper surface of the outer edge of the plate 18 as indicated in Fig.4.

In order to vertically reciprocate the press I )rovide as hereinafter)ointed out, slid-' able connection ll between the eccentric rod andlever arm 37, the connection being adjustable as well as slidablethrough the medium of the series of openings 42 in the lever arm. Thesprocket wheel l-O has chain connection 43 with the sprocket 44 upon theend of the roller 8 whereby the roller Sis actuated toimpart movement tothe apron.

In order to apply tension to the string apron I provide in connectionwith the journal bearing of the roller 13 a suitable tension device 15and in order to apply tension to the main apron B I employ in connectionwith the slidable support for the roller 3 a suitable tension device. Inorder to scrape the starch from the apron B back into the starchreceptacle I provide above the apron B as it returns over the roller 12a scraper bar 45 extending transversely of the machine directly abovesaid apron, and I provide at the opposite end of the receptacle a.wiping roller 14 journaled above the apron adjacent to the roller 7 andcontacting with said apron as indicated in Fig. 6. The roller 14 isjournaled in the pivoted arms 47, the upper ends of which arms areconnected by cables 48 with weights 49 running intermediately overidlersvfiO. Thus by means of the weight and cables the roller 1 1 isheld pressed against the aprons wiping the starch back into thereceptacle. The aprons B and C are thereafter wiped by the wiping apronD which extends over the roller 52 in contact with the aprons B and Cand thence upwardly over the roller 16 and through the trough 53 andthence around the roller 17 back to the roller 52. In passing throughthe trough the wiping apron passes undernear the roller 55. In passingover the roller 54% the apron D is wiped by a suitable roller 56. Thetrough is kept filled with water so I that the wiping apron is beingconstantly cleaned as it passes therethrough. It will be understood thattension may be applied to all the different rollers in any desired manner.

In operation the articles to be starched will be fed upon the apron B asindicated in Fig. 6 passing underneath the roller 13 between the apron Band the string apron C. It will thence be carried through the machine asindicated in Fig. 6 being carried between the two aprons over theperforated plate 18 and delivered from the machine as the apron B passesover the roller 8. As the collars and cuffs pass over the plate 18 theoperatingmechanism will raise and lower the press. Each time the pressis lowered it will assume the position indicated in Fig. 4 with the band26 in contact with the outer edges of the perforated plate 18, thestarch inside the band 26 being forced by the downward movement of thepress through the collars and cuffs and through the openings 19. As willbe noted in Fig. .4 the rollers 5 and 6 are positioned below the topface of the plate 18 thus carrying the aprons sharply over the edge ofthe plate and more tightly gripping the intermediate collars and cuffs.As the aprons pass under the wiping roll 14 said roll will wipe off thesurplus starch and allow it to drop back into the main receptacle 2 andthe wiping apron D will thereafter more thoroughly wipe and clean theaprons. By means of the operating mechanism shown the aprons B and Cwill be given an intermittent movement. While the press is being loweredand is pressing the starch through the cuffs and collars the lever 37 isbeing withdrawn leaving the aprons in a state of rest. While the pressis being raised and is freed from the aprons the lever 37 is beingcarried forward to cause travel of the apron through the medium of thepawl and ratchet and sprocket and chain connection. The slot and pinconnection between the eccentric rod 36 and the lever 37 allows thepress to be first lifted free from the aprons before it begins toactuate the pawl and ratchet and thus the aprons do not begin to traveluntil the press is freed therefrom.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a tank, ofa resiliently supported bed plate arranged in said tank,

a reciprocating plunger supported above the same, a vertically slidableband surrounding said plunger and normally extending below the same, andmeans for reciprocating said plunger toward and from the said plate.

2. In a machine of the class described the combination with a tank, of aperforated resiliently supported bed plate therein, an apron passingover said plate, a plunger supported above the same, a means foralternately imparting movement to said apron and reciprocating saidplunger toward and from said bed plate.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a tank, ofa perforated resiliently supported bed plate arranged in said tank, anapron passing over said plate, a reciprocating plunger supported abovethe same, means for intermittently imparting forward movement to saidapron, and means for raising said plunger away from said apron slightlyin advance of each forward movement of said apron.

4.. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a tank, ofa resiliently supported perforated bed plate, an apron passing over saidbed plate and extending downwardly over said rollers at opposite ends ofsaid plate, a reciprocating plunger arranged above said plate and meansfor alternately imparting forward travel to said apron and forreciprocating said plunger toward and from said plate and intermedi ateapron.

5. In a machine of the class described. the combination with a tank, ofa perforated bed plate arranged therein, a reciprocating plungerarranged above said bed plate, conveyer aprons passing over said plate,a wiping apron arranged in connection with said conveyer aprons, meansfor Washing said Wiping apron and actuating mechanism for said apronsand said plunger.

6. In a machine of the class described, the combination With a tank, ofa perforated bed plate therein, conveyer aprons passing over said plate,a reciprocating plunger arranged above said plate, a Water receptaclearranged adjacent to said conveyer aprons, a Wiping apron passingthrough said receptacle and into contact With said conveyer aprons, andactuating means for said aprons and said plunger.

7. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a bed plateof a reciprocating plunger, conveyer aprons moving between the bed plateand the plunger, a Wiping apron arranged in connection with saidconveyer aprons, means for Washing said Wiping apron, and actuatingmechanism for said aprons and said plunger.

8. Thepombination With a tank of a bedplate arranged in said tank, aplunger movable toward and from the bed-plate, and a movable bandsurrounding the plunger and normally extending below the same.

9. In a machine of the class described, thecombination with a tank of abed plate arranged in said tank, a reciprocating plunger, a verticallyslidable band surrounding said plunger and normally extending below thesame, and means for reciprocating said plunger toward and from saidplate.

10. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a tank ofa perforated bed plate therein, an apron moving across said plate, aplunger, and means for alternately imparting movement tosaid apronCopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

and reciprocating said plunger toward and from said bed plate.

11. In a machine of the class described,

the combination with a tank of a bed plate therein, an apron movingacross said plate,

arranged therein, a reciprocating plunger intermittingly movable meansmoving across said plate for feeding articles to be starched and meansfor bringing said plunger into pressing coaction with the bed plate onlyWhile the feeding means is at rest.

14. In a machine of the class described, the combinationivith a bedplate of a reciprocating plunger, one of said elements being resilientlymounted, intermittingly movable means between the plate and plunger forfeeding articles tobe starched, and means for raising said plunger awayfrom said bed plate in advance of each forward movement of the feedingmeans.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HENRY J. NICHOLLS.

Witnesses:

H. S. JonNsoN, H. SMITH.

Washington. D. C.

